Northeast Fresno stabbing suspect explains attack

Police arrested 18-year-old Ryan Ruiz for the stabbing. The victim told officers it happened for no reason. The 28-year-old had been walking near Cedar and Alluvial in Northeast Fresno along with two other people.

"[The victim] was stabbed several times in the torso and he was cut in the face," said Fresno police Lt. Jose Garza.

Police quickly arrested an 18-year-old man for the stabbing, and they say he confessed. Ryan Ruiz is now a mug shot, an inmate at the Fresno County jail, accused of assault with a deadly weapon. Ruiz has no prior criminal record, but a 28-year-old man says Ruiz attacked him out of the blue on the streets of northeast Fresno. Ruiz's version of the story is a lot different. He says it all started when a bottle was thrown at the windshield of his girlfriend's car. Ruiz told investigators it escalated from there.

"[Ruiz] had confronted the victim, got into an argument, and then they got into a fight and the victim was stabbed several times," said Lt. Garza.

Ruiz got into a car and left the scene and headed to his home less than a mile away. Paramedics rushed the victim to Community Regional Medical Center while witnesses gave police the story from each of their perspectives. Investigators tracked down Ruiz with help from his ride home.

"We did have a citizen that came back to the scene here and let the officers know that they had given a ride to an individual that met the same description," said Lt. Garza.

Ruiz was booked into the county jail at about 2 a.m. after giving his confession. He's a recent Clovis North High School graduate. In fact, seven months ago, Action News spoke to him about marijuana lollipops being sold on the school's campus.

Ruiz's father didn't want to talk on camera, calling the situation embarrassing. But he said Ryan's not the type of person to attack someone for no reason. As of Monday evening, the family hadn't been able to get him out of the jail. His bail is set at $25,000.